A’s go down rabbit hole to retrieve a new mascot

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Rick Monday looks at umpire after being called out on strikes, umpire reaches a new baseball from Charlie Finley’s mechanical rabbit that comes out of the ground with a basket of new balls..Ron Riesterer/photo

The A’s went down the rabbit hole Tuesday while embracing a vestige from the colorful times of the Charlie Finley era.

Some 47 years after the uniquely mechanical “Harvey the Rabbit” last served up new baseballs for umpires, the A’s will unveil “Harvey Jr.” on Friday night as part of their 50th Anniversary celebration.

Harvey the Rabbit dates back to our KC days and moved to Oakland with the A's. He would pop out of the ground throughout the game to deliver baseballs to the home plate umpire. New Harvey will be remote-controlled and will deliver the ceremonial first pitch ball to the umpires.🐰 pic.twitter.com/v0acfg8DxS

Putting a modern day twist on his predecessor’s functionality, Harvey Jr. is a souped-up, remote-controlled mascot that will deliver baseballs to the umps before the game, but so much more.

“The sky’s the limit to what we can do with him,” Kaval said. “He’s almost like a second mascot for us. There are going to be so many opportunities to kind of share him and embrace the fun spirit that he evokes.

“Baseball needs more of that.”

Although Kaval wouldn’t comment on it, there are strong rumors that one of the A’s next dips into their past will be to bring back a new “Charlie O” the mule.

Sadly, Finley’s innovative ideas such as ballgirls and orange baseballs aren’t on anyone’s agenda. However, Kaval did reveal the A’s are hoping to pay lasting tribute to the man who first brought baseball to Oakland before bringing three World Series titles to the city.

“It’s something we’re looking to do,” Kaval said when asked about honoring Finley. “He is someone who made an amazing contribution to baseball and we need to do everything we can to celebrate his innovations.”

Harvey Jr. was the product of a complicated, year-long project that Kaval, head of stadium operations David Rinetti, head of marketing Troy Smith and Charlie Finley’s niece Nancy Finley collaborated on. The Chronicle first reported Harvey Jr.’s arrival on Tuesday.
Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley’s mechanical rabbit comes out of the ground to supply the umpire with new baseballs. (1972 photo by Ron Riesterer)

Not many A’s fans recalled how Harvey helped keep things lively at the Coliseum, but it wasn’t just the fans who got a kick out of him.

Vida Blue enjoyed his finest season of his star-studded career — winning MVP and Cy Young Award honors — while Harvey was on his last legs in 1971. Vida didn’t mind if the game occasionally had to come to a halt while an umpire pushed a button to unearth Harvey from behind the plate to get fresh baseballs.

“It was fun,” Blue said. “It was a good time and it showed what an innovative thinker Charlie was.”

According to legend, Harvey’s demise was brought about because of some plumbing issues at the Coliseum. (Hard to believe, we know). Some underground flooding essentially short-circuited Harvey.

Some Coliseum groundskeepers had a sense of humor and prepared Harvey for burial, complete with a makeshift casket. It was all in good fun until Finley saw a picture of his beloved rabbit in The Sporting News.

“When they pulled him out of the ground and made it look like he was in a casket, Charlie blew a gasket,” said A’s equipment manager Steve Vucinich, who as a team employee since its inception in 1968, truly knows where the bodies are buried at the Coliseum. “He always hated the Coliseum people for doing that to Harvey.”